Getty Las Vegas Raiders HC Antonio Pierce.
The Las Vegas Raiders could be nearing a decision on who their started quarterback will be in Week 1 but it appears they’ve figured out who will be third on the depth chart. Anthony Brown has been on the roster all offseason since signing with the team in January.
However, the Raiders recently signed Nathan Peterman to the roster, which put Brown on notice. It didn’t take long for the team to make a decision. They announced on August 14 that they had waived Brown.
We have waived QB Anthony Brown Jr.
The quarterback was just 26 and showed some promise in training camp. Once the Raiders played their first preseason game against the Minnesota Vikings, Brown’s play wasn’t as impressive. He completed 1-of-3 passes for 24 yards. The fact the Raiders didn’t trust him to throw the ball more is telling.
Preseason is the time to see what a backup player can do but Las Vegas didn’t let Brown throw the ball more. Once Peterman was brought in, it was clear the Raiders were thinking of going in a different direction.
Undrafted rookie quarterback Carter Bradley is still on the roster but he’s likely waiting for a spot on the practice squad once the season starts. Peterman appears to be locked in as the No. 3 quarterback this season.
Indianapolis Colts Wanted to Keep Gardner Minshew
While signs are pointing to Peterman being the Raiders’ QB3, the battle between Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew is ongoing. The decision on who wins the job should be incoming but it’s too close to tell right now.
Minshew has been a journeyman quarterback around the NFL with the Raiders being his fourth team. Last season, he nearly led the Indianapolis Colts to the playoffs after Week 1 starter Anthony Richardson got hurt. According to The Athletic’s Vic Tafur, the Colts were very interested in bringing back the veteran quarterback.
“The Colts wanted Minshew back this season but couldn’t match the $15 million guaranteed (over two years) that Raiders general manager Tom Telesco gave him,” Tafur wrote in an August 16 column. “Minshew is a skilled play-action passer who thinks Luke Getsy’s West Coast offense suits him, as he feels he processes quickly and goes through his reads and progressions to find the most open receiver.”
Colts head coach Shane Steichen is one of the most respected young offensive minds in the NFL so if he wanted Minshew back, that’s a good sign that he was worth the money the Raiders paid him in free agency.
Who Win the Starting Job?
Minshew has the more proven track record as O’Connell has only one season under his belt. However, the latter still has a lot of upside. As a young player, there’s still room for him to take strides.
Minshew is a known commodity and isn’t likely to take a huge leap in his sixth season. That said, the Raiders appear to be all-in on making a playoff run and Minshew is the safer bet due to his 37-career NFL starts. It’s possible that O’Connell will start games at some point during the 2023 season but it’s likely that the Raiders prefer to go with the mobile veteran in Minshew over the young pocket passer.
